It has been fun watching our grandkids and the neighbourhood children playing in our snowbanks. It brings back many memories of doing the same in our farmyard and the country schoolyard.
Recently, snow fell on our fields, only to be followed a few days later with a mighty strong south wind that blew most of it away. When the blizzard was over, the fields were nearly bare, while the town and farmyards were left full of snow, especially those of us on the south side of town. Those who had to shovel driveways were not impressed.
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For the kids, it was a different story. They have been enjoying mild temperatures and digging in the snowbanks. My front yard looks like a large gopher mound with holes popping up in different locations. Little heads pop up and down from the holes as the kids tunnel their way through, joining one tunnel to the others. Fresh air and exercise are a side benefit to this project. I wish I was agile and small enough to get in with them.
Baked shredded carrots
6 cups shredded carrots 1.5 L
3/4 cup chopped green 175 mL
onion
2 tablespoons sugar 25 mL
1/2 teaspoon salt 2 mL
1/2 teaspoon celery salt 2 mL
1/4 cup butter 60 mL
In a large bowl, combine the carrots, onions, sugar, salt and celery salt. Transfer to an ungreased 11/2 quart (1.5 L) baking dish. Dot with butter. Cover and bake at 325 F
(160 C) for 45 to 50 minutes or
until carrots are crisp-tender.
Yield: eight to 10 servings.
Source: Country Women, November-December 2006.
Burnt grapes
At three potluck dinners that I attended over the holidays, this dish was on the dessert table and favourable comments could be heard.
4-5 cups seedless 1-1.25 L
grapes, red or green
2 cups sour cream 500 mL
2 teaspoons vanilla 10 mL
1/2 cup white sugar 125 mL
1/2 cup margarine 125 mL
or butter
1/2 cup brown sugar 125 mL
Wash and dry grapes. Mix sour cream, vanilla and white sugar. Pour over grapes and stir gently. Pour into a nine by 13 inch (22 x 33 cm) pan or individual serving dishes.
In a saucepan, bring butter and brown sugar to a boil. Pour immediately over grapes. Do not stir. Chill for three to four hours. The caramel sauce gets hard and crunchy. You can substitute fresh raspberries, blackberries or sliced peaches. Serves six.
Internet wise
Though a great source of information, the internet can also spread misinformation, such as the unproven claim that cellphones or antiperspirants cause cancer. Make sure the websites you use are from the government, universities or medical organizations because they are likely to be reliable. Some websites that I find helpful are:
- www.foodsafetyline.org. As a nonprofit association, the Food Safety Information Society was incorporated under the Alberta Societies Act in 1997. It has a team of professionals with expertise in home food safety issues who will answer questions about food safety, storage and preservation, agricultural practices, regulations, packaging and more. You can also phone them at 800-892-8333.
- www.dietitians.ca. This is the voice of the Dietitians of Canada. The website includes nutrition information via fact sheets and News release
newss.
- www.homefamily.net. This site provides home economics information. It is maintained by the Association of Saskatchewan Home Economists, which is committed to providing accurate, up-to-date information pertaining to the family. This site was made possible by donations to the Emmie Oddie Recognition Fund. It was established to acknowledge the contributions of Oddie, who used her home economics background for almost 50 years to answer question from readers of The Western Producer.
- www.hc-sc.gc.ca. This is Health Canada’s website. It is an excellent source for information on health related issues such as advisories, warning and recalls issued by the department and information on consumer product safety. Consumers with health or safety concerns about a particular product should contact the Health Canada Product Safety office at 866-662-0666.
- www.inspection.gc.ca. This is the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s website for information on food recalls and allergy alerts. Its phone number is 800-442-2342.
- www.healthycanadians.gc.ca. This is a relatively new website, combining recall information from Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. It provides information on food and product recalls in a user friendly and centralized website.
- www.homecanning.com.
Home canning information from Bernardin. You can contact the company with your questions. The site has information on safe home canning methods and recipes. Phone number is 888-430-4231.
Sports drinks
Unless you or your children are exercising strenuously for more than an hour, a sports drink, such as
Gatorade or Powerade, serves no purpose. Sports drinks and other enhanced water contain about one-third to one-half the sugar of soda drinks, but that still adds up. Water remains the best drink.
Source: University of California, Berkeley Wellness Letter, Dec. 2007.
Canola oil conversion chart
Reduce trans and saturated fats in your baking by replacing the solid fat with liquid canola oil. Not only will you reduce the total fat by up to 25
percent, but the liquid canola oil is lower in saturated fat and contains no trans fat. Use this chart to help you convert your recipes.
Solid fat (melted) Canola oil
1 cup (250 mL) 3/4 cup (175 mL)
3/4 cup (175 mL) 2/3 cup (150 mL)
1/2 cup (125 mL) 1/3 cup (75 mL)
1/4 cup (50 mL) 3 tablespoons (45 mL)
Note: This conversion works well for most baked goods, making them moister with a softer texture. But for baked goods like cookies that use solid fat as a leavener, this conversion will not work well. Source: CanolaInfo.
